Selfies: Your New Go-To Marketing Tool

What do celebrities, athletes, politicians and even speakers have in common? They all have, at one time or another, participated in a wildly hip, fun, technological craze that has everyone saying one, two, three – SELFIE!

In today’s hyper-competitive world, everyone is competing for the same thing – ATTENTION! People are trying to rise above all the noise and clutter to be noticed. And although self-portraits, “selfies” have been around since the 1800s, this growing trend of 93 million selfies taken per day has created a daily conversation buzz and we love it.

So, could the popularity of the selfie have a place in the speaking business? Yes! Here’s why…

Selfies encourage creative strength. The purpose of the selfie is to capture the essence of a memorable connection. A shared spontaneous selfie with your customers, prospective clients and even audiences has already proven to create an instant bond. One that is way better than a handshake or exchanging business cards. Yet, to really stand out from all the other selfies, it’s important to be creative with a memorable connection. Sure, making silly facial expressions are fun, but there is more that speakers can do to provide extra special memories when conducting a selfie. For example, standing in front of a landmark that indicates where you are taking the selfie, like your clients company logo or sign. Many conferences have apps that are open for speakers to participate in, as well. Whether it’s a social media link, photo gallery, a discovery game like a scavenger hunt or to promote your program, you can easily attach a selfie. Hey, if audiences can’t remember your name or your speech, at least they will have a visual of you and which conference you were presenting at that year. Overall, taking the initiative to ask, pose and click, provides a relationship bonding that definitely speaks louder than words. The best part, you get to be in all the photos. You get noticed!

Selfies provide great self-promotion. Today, your social media presence is just as important as your stage presence. How you strategize your presence determines your success. Customers rank authenticity as a top characteristic when hiring a speaker. A selfie is your headshot re-invented! Scared, huh? Don’t be! The real YOU is what others want to see. Customers, audiences and delegates are tired of speakers showing up the day of the program and not living up to their glamour shots. Selfies allow you to be and look like you—human. Just like being involved with the conference app I just mentioned, you will be thought of as more approachable, fun, connected and engaged before even stepping up on stage. Can you perfect your selfies? Absolutely! Just like preparing for a speech, it takes practice. And voila! You get noticed!

Selfies are an excellent strategy for trainers and coaches, too. They can actually become one of the most effective training techniques to help inspire, motivate, challenge and encourage individuals across numerous industries. The days of traditional role playing in front of others have now been replaced with selfie videos. Teaching the users to record themselves role playing on their own time in a more composed environment, then submitting the video for feedback, has become a comfortable process. The results? Individuals are improving and companies are extremely happy with the successful outcomes. You get noticed!

Ultimately, people buy from those they like, connect and trust. Selfies can help strengthen those factors. So, just be YOU with this enthusiastic and fun phenomenal approach because it’s not just a selfie anymore! Now, get out there and take a selfie! You WILL get noticed!

Deborah Gardner

Deborah Gardner, CMP, is a competition catalyst and author that companies call on to get more momentum. Founder of the designed system, COMPETE BETTER NOW, Deborah has inspired thousands of people to break through and stand out in any competitive environment. She is the author of several books including the soon to released, “Be In It To Win IT.”